Internal combustion engine and compressor or pump with rotor and piston construction, and electrical generator pneumatically driven by same

Abstract

Unique engines, air compressors, and pneumatically driven electrical generators are disclosed. The engine employs a rotor having a number of pistons slidably disposed within respective cylinder bores extending into the rotor periphery. As the rotor spins within a stator, each cylinder bore passes a combustion stage at which the piston is driven further into the rotor toward a bottom of the respective cylinder bore. Valves at the bottom of the cylinder discharge air that is compressed by this piston downstroke, and admit new intake air during an opposing upstroke. The unit thus operates as a self driven compressor, or engine-compressor combination, and the compressed air may be used to pneumatically drive a turbine of an electrical generator. A carbon splitter dissociates carbon and oxygen molecules from the carbon dioxide in the air downstream of the generator turbine, reducing the overall carbon dioxide output of the system.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An engine comprising: a stationary stator defining a cylindrical interior of circular cross section; a cylindrical rotor of circular cross section supported within the stator interior for rotation with a drive shaft projecting from the stator along a central axis, the rotor having a plurality of cylindrical bores extending thereinto from a periphery thereof at angularly spaced positions about the driveshaft;
 a respective seal disposed about each cylindrical bore at the periphery of the rotor to seal around the cylindrical bore between the rotor and the stator; 
 a respective piston disposed within each cylindrical bore and freely slidable therealong; 
 a pulse detonation combustor having an outlet thereof opening into the interior of the stator, wherein a directional shockwave generated by an expansion of a mixture of ignited air and fuel in the pulse detonation combustor is directed into each cylindrical bore during passage of said cylindrical bore past the outlet of the combustor, wherein the outlet of said pulse detonation combustor is positioned and oriented such that the directional shockwave is directed against a side of the cylindrical bore to drive rotation of the rotor; 
 an exhaust outtake extending from the interior of the stator to the exterior thereof to discharge exhaust gases from each cylindrical-bore passing by the exhaust outtake under rotation of the rotor after the exertion of the shockwave against the side of said cylindrical bore, the exhaust outtake being circumferentially spaced about the central axis from the pulse detonation combustor. 
 
     
     
       2. The engine according to any  claim 1  wherein a face of each piston facing outward toward the stator curves about the central axis. 
     
     
       3. The engine according to  claim 2  wherein each cylindrical bore and the respective piston are arranged to maintain a predetermined rotational orientation of said piston about a longitudinal axis of said cylindrical bore during rotation of the rotor in the predetermined direction to situate the face of said piston in an orientation following an inner surface of the stator against which the seals engage. 
     
     
       4. The engine according to  claim 2  wherein the cylindrical bores and pistons are circular in cross-section and one side of each piston has a greater weight than an opposing side of said piston so that said one side will trail said opposing side under rotation of the rotor. 
     
     
       5. The engine according to  claim 4  wherein each piston comprises a weight fixed thereto on said one side thereof. 
     
     
       6. The engine according to  claim 5  wherein said weight comprises a body of material of greater density than said piston received in a cavity within said piston. 
     
     
       7. The engine according to  claim 6  wherein said body of material is a threaded insert and said cavity is a correspondingly threaded bore extending into said piston for threaded receipt of the insert therein. 
     
     
       8. The engine according to  claim 1  comprising: a fluid inlet passage extending from outside the stator into the rotor through a first face thereof and communicable with each cylindrical bore through the inner end thereof via a fluid inlet port equipped with a one way inlet valve; a fluid outlet passage closed off from the fluid inlet passage, extending from outside the stator into the rotor through a second face thereof opposite the first face and communicable with each cylindrical bore through the inner end thereof via a fluid outlet port equipped with a one way outlet valve;
 whereby fluid is drawn into each cylindrical bore under movement of the respective piston toward the stator and forced out of said cylindrical bore through the fluid outlet passage under subsequent movement of said respective piston toward the inner end of said cylindrical bore when the output from the pulse detonation combustor s exerted against the piston. 
 
     
     
       9. The engine according to  claim 1  wherein the outlet of the combustor extends into the interior of the stator at an oblique angle relative to a radius of the interior of the stator at the location of the outlet around the central axis and relative to a longitudinal axis of each cylindrical bore when said bore is situated at the location of the outlet around the central axis. 
     
     
       10. The engine according to  claim 1  comprising a flashback arrestor operably connected to the pulse detonation combustor. 
     
     
       11. A combined engine and compressor comprising:
 a stationary stator defining a cylindrical interior of circular cross section; 
 a cylindrical rotor of circular cross section supported within the stator interior for rotation with a drive shaft projecting from the stator along a central axis, the rotor having a plurality of cylindrical bores extending thereinto from a periphery thereof at angularly spaced positions about the driveshaft; 
 a respective seal disposed about each cylindrical bore at the periphery of the rotor to seal around the cylindrical bore between the rotor and the stator; 
 a respective piston disposed within each cylindrical bore and freely slidable therealong; a pulse detonation combustor having an outlet thereof opening into the interior of the stator to direct an output of said pulse detonation combustor into each cylindrical bore during passage of said cylindrical bore past the outlet of the combustor, wherein the outlet of said pulse detonation combustor is positioned and oriented such that the output from the pulse detonation combustor drives the respective piston toward an inner end of the cylindrical bore and a directional shockwave of said output acts against a side of the cylindrical bore drive rotation of the rotor; and 
 an exhaust outtake extending from the interior of the stator to the exterior thereof to discharge exhaust gases from each cylindrical bore passing by the exhaust outtake under rotation of the rotor after the exertion of the output from the pulse detonation combustor against the respective piston in said cylindrical bore, the exhaust outtake being circumferentially spaced about the central axis from the pulse detonation combustor; 
 a fluid inlet passage extending from outside the stator into the rotor through a first face thereof and communicable with each cylindrical bore through the inner end thereof via a fluid inlet port equipped with a one way inlet valve; 
 a fluid outlet passage closed off from the fluid inlet passage, extending from outside the stator into the rotor through a second face thereof opposite the first face and communicable with each cylindrical bore through the inner end thereof via a fluid outlet port equipped with a one way outlet valve; and 
 a fluid outlet conduit coupled with the fluid outlet passage; whereby fluid is drawn into each cylindrical bore through the fluid inlet passage under centrifugal movement of the respective piston toward the stator, and then under driving of the piston toward the inner end of the cylindrical bore by the output of the pulse detonation combustor, the fluid is compressed between the piston and the inner end of the cylindrical bore and forced out of said cylindrical bore through the fluid outlet passage. 
 
     
     
       12. The combined engine and compressor according to  claim 11  wherein a shaft on the central axis projects from the rotor to outside the stator and the fluid passages pass axially through said shaft into the rotor. 
     
     
       13. The combined engine and compressor of  claim 11  in combination with:
 an electrical generator having a rotatable input shaft for production of electricity by the electrical generator under rotation of the input shaft about a rotational axis thereof; 
 a turbine coupled to the input shaft of the electrical generator and comprising a series of vanes arranged circumferentially around a turbine axis about which the turbine is rotatable; and 
 a nozzle fed from the fluid outlet conduit of the combined engine and compressor and having an outlet oriented in a direction acting on the vanes of the turbine to drive rotation of the turbine and the input shaft of the electrical generator. 
 
     
     
       14. The combination of  claim 13  wherein the nozzle comprises a slit in a tubular member coupled to and fed by the fluid outlet conduit. 
     
     
       15. The combination of  claim 13  further comprises a carbon dioxide splitter fed from the fluid outlet conduit of the engine and operable to break down carbon dioxide entering the splitter into carbon and oxygen. 
     
     
       16. The combination of  claim 15  wherein the carbon dioxide splitter is located downstream of the turbine. 
     
     
       17. The combination of  claim 15  wherein the carbon splitter is connected to an output of the electrical generator for at least partial powering of the carbon splitter thereby.